This invention relates to rearview mirrors for vehicles and, more particularly, to a mounting assembly for outside mirrors which protects the mirror unit and improves appearance while minimizing cost and simplifying manufacturing operations.
In recent years, electro-optic rearview mirror assemblies for both interior and exterior vehicular applications have become popular. These mirrors include an electrically responsive material or medium which destructs incident light to reduce reflected light and glare. A typical electro-optic mirror unit includes a pair of glass or other optically clear panels, an electro-optic medium between the panels, electrical means for applying electric power to the electro-optic medium to vary the light transmittance through the medium, and a reflective layer for reflecting light through the medium which is incident on the mirror. Because of such construction, these units are larger, thicker and require more space than conventional mirrors. This is especially true at the peripheral edges of the mirror to allow for electrical connections from the vehicle electrical system. Consequently, in the past, such units have been mounted on the vehicle in larger, thicker, bulkier mounting frames which are often unappealing in appearance.
In addition, these electro-optic mirror units are more sensitive than conventional mirrors to environmental effects, especially at their edges where high humidity and/or salt spray can cause corrosion or severely degrade the reflective metal layers in the unit and/or short out and disrupt electrical operation preventing proper dimming and/or glare reduction Such units are also electrical polarity sensitive. Hence, improper connection to reverse polarity electrical sources can damage or destroy the operation of the units.
Additional problems encountered with such electro-optic rearview mirrors include the destruction or damage due to vibration or breakage during shipment, greater complexity in manufacturing operations and consequent greater assembly cost, and difficulty in servicing such units including removal and replacement of the electro-optic units.
Prior known mounting frames for electro-optic rearview mirrors have failed to address or solve these and related electro-optic rearview mirror problems For example, Japanese Utility Model Patent Publication 62-15052 discloses a mirror mounting assembly including a two-part rim which is fastened around the peripheral edge of the mirror unit and incorporates rubber or foam between the rim parts as a cushion for compressive forces acting generally parallel to the plane of the mirror unit. However, such mounting structure fails to address numerous other problems as described above including protection from numerous types of environmental effects, prevention of improper polarity connections to the vehicle electrical system, accommodation of mirror serviceability such as mirror removal and replacement, and minimization of bulk and size for improved appearance.
The present invention was developed in recognition of and as a solution for these and other problems